Sonoma

About Sonoma

Sonoma is what wine country looks like when it relaxes. The county sprawls from the town of Sonoma's mission-era plaza up through Healdsburg's polished square and out to the redwoods and river beaches of the Russian River Valley — a far bigger and more varied canvas than Napa next door, with more grape varieties, more casual tasting rooms, and generally gentler prices. Hotel rates still spike on harvest-season weekends, though, and that's when member rates not displayed on the open web are most worth checking — a meaningful difference some nights, more modest others.

Where you base yourself shapes the whole trip. Sonoma Plaza, the largest town square in California, surrounds you with tasting rooms, restaurants, and the historic mission — wine country you can do on foot. Healdsburg, 40 minutes north, sits at the junction of three appellations (Russian River, Dry Creek, Alexander Valley) and has become the county's food-and-boutique-hotel showpiece. The Russian River corridor around Guerneville mixes redwood groves, river beaches, and low-key wineries, while Petaluma's restored Victorian downtown makes a budget-friendlier southern base under an hour from everything.

Our Travel Editor's Sonoma advice: pick one appellation per day and wander it slowly — Dry Creek Road alone can fill an afternoon with zinfandel and picnic stops. Sonoma still has plenty of walk-in tasting rooms, but call ahead for the small family producers, which are the county's whole point. And if you're choosing between a Saturday in Napa and a Saturday in Sonoma at the same budget, Sonoma usually buys you a nicer room, a quieter pour, and an easier drive.

— Our Travel Editor